USPTO Patents Application 10725720

Application No. 10/725,720

Reply to Office Action of November 22, 2006

Docket No.: 200300353-1

LISTING OF CLAIMS

1-6. (Canceled)

7. (Previously Presented) A method for supplying power to an electronic load
comprising:

connecting a plurality of power supplies in parallel;

setting, via a power selector circuit, a maximum effective voltage for each of said
plurality of power supplies to cascade from a highest effective voltage for a first of said plurality
to a lowest effective voltage for a last of said plurality; and

interfacing said plurality of power supplies with said electronic load through said po|ver
selector circuit.

8. (Original) The method of claim 7 wherein said interfacing further comprises:
preventing current generated by one of said plu ality of power supplies from sinking

another of said plurality.

9. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 7 wherein said setting further
comprises:

selecting impedance values within said power selector circuit to create said maximum
effective voltage.

10. (Original) The method of claim 7 further comprising:

limiting said maximum effective voltage of one of said plurality of power supplies to a
value of a next one of said plurality when said electronic load causes said maximum effective
voltage of said one of said plurality to decrease to said jmaximum effective voltage of said n ;xt
one of said plurality.

1 1 . (Original) The method of claim 10 further comprising:
receiving a signal to deactivate said limiting; apd
deactivating said limiting.

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Application No. 10/725,720

Reply to Office Action of November 22, 2006

Docket No.: 200300353-1

12-15. (Canceled)

1 6. (Previously Presented) A power supply system comprising:

a homogenous power supply module having a plurality of power supplies arranged ip.
parallel; and

a power selector circuit having a plurality of pdwer selectors arranged in parallel, ea(;h
power selector coupled between one of said plurality of power supplies and an electronic load,
wherein each power selector causes a power supply coupled thereto to have a maximum effective
output voltage greater than a next power supply.

17. (Previously Presented) The system of claim 16, wherein said power selector
circuit is disposed within said electronic load.

18. (Previously Presented) The system of claim 16, wherein each power selector
comprises an isolator for preventing current from one power supply from entering another power
supply.

19. (Previously Presented) The system of claim
selector comprises a first selection impedance for setting
of said power supply coupled thereto.

16, wherein at least one power
said maximum effective output vo

tagc

20. (Previously Presented) The system of claim 1 9, wherein said at least one power
selector comprises a second selection impedance for setting said maximum effective output
voltage of said power supply coupled thereto.

2 1 . (Previously Presented) The system of c[aim 20, wherein said at least one po\jver
selector comprises a switch for selecting between said first and second selection impedances
when a power requirement of said electronic load reduces said maximum effective voltage of
said power supply to that of said next power supply.

25746942.1

Application No. 10/725,720

Reply to Office Action of November 22, 2006

Docket No. :20030p353-l

22. (Previously Presented) The system of claim 21 , wherein said at least one polver
selector further comprises a resetting mechanism for resetting said switch.

23. (Previously Presented) The system of cjlaim 22, wherein said resetting
mechanism responds to a signal external to said plurality of power supplies to reset said switch.

24. (Previously Presented) The system of claim 23, wherein said signal is transnjiitted
responsive to one or more of:

expiration of a time;

reduction in said power requirement of said electronic load; and
a user selected option.

25. (Previously Presented) A power supply system comprising:
a homogenous power supply module having a plurality of power supplies arranged iji

parallel; and

a power selector circuit having a plurality of power selectors arranged in parallel, at least
one of said power selectors having:

a diode for preventing current from one power supply from entering another power

supply;

a first voltage divider for setting a first maximum effective output voltage of said power
supply coupled thereto;

a second voltage divider for setting a second maximum effective output voltage of sad
power supply coupled thereto; and

a switch for selecting between said first and second voltage dividers when a power
requirement of said electronic load reduces said first miximum effective voltage of said power
supply to a maximum effective voltage of a next of said plurality of power supplies;

wherein each of said plurality of power selectors couples a corresponding one of saic
plurality of power supplies to an electronic load.

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Application No. 10/725,720

Reply to Office Action of November 22, 2006

Docket No.: 20030^0353-1

26. (Previously Presented) The power supply system of claim 25, wherein said
maximum effective voltage of a next of said plurality of power supplies is equal to said second
maximum effective output voltage of said power supply.

27. (Previously Presented) The power supply system of claim 25, said at least ohe
power selector further comprising a resetting mechanism for resetting said switch in response to
an event selected from the group consisting of: an expiration of a time; a reduction in said power
requirement of said electronic load; and a user selected option.

25746942.1

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